Victoria Passes Remote Work Law, Small Businesses Included

0:00Hey, it's Cory with Sydney News Today, your city, your news every day. Victorian leaders have decided against exempting small businesses from new work from home laws. Cabin had agreed this week to give all employees the right to work remotely two days a week, wherever it's practical, no matter the company size. This means an estimated 1.3 million workers in small businesses will gain the same protections as those in big firms. Premier Jacinta Allen first pitched the idea last August and plans to pass it before the November state election, business groups of pushing back hard. They argue the laws are unnecessary since remote work is already common post-pandemic and worn of big costs like loss productivity, offshoring jobs, and higher demands from frontline workers. Government officials say a boost productivity by turning commute time into work time and saves employees money. They're using the Equal Opportunity Act to make discrimination against remote requests illegal based on legal advice to survive core challenges.

1:02More details are coming this week as part of the re-election push. No other state has similar laws and the opposition has not taken a firm stance yet. The Daily News Now is grateful to our sponsor for today's episode. Headphones in a pillow, simple idea, surprisingly addictive, S-O-L-I-SullyPillow.com